McKinsey Q&A: Krishnan

August 26, 2015 – Meet Krishnan, a summer associate in our Houston office. Krishnan graduated from Harvard University, then started his career in southern Africa, working first in public health and then as a high school teacher. Seeing health dictate opportunities for many young people inspired, Krishnan to apply to medical school. He earned his M.D. from Stanford and spent the past four years as a resident in pediatrics in global child health, providing care to children in rural and underserved parts of the world.

Interviewer: What brought you to McKinsey for the summer?

Krishnan: I love treating patients, especially children. In doing so, I realized how large a role economic, structural and social issues, like access to clean water and nutritious food, play in good health. During my medical training, I rarely got to tackle these upstream issues. I came to McKinsey to learn how to approach and solve such large, complex problems.

Interviewer: What advice would you share with others considering a career with McKinsey?

Krishnan: McKinsey is a wonderful place to be. I’m surrounded by exceptionally talented people who work very hard to ensure their clients’ success. Moreover, I’ve seen few places focus so much on developing their people. From formal training to mentorship to a systematic and continuous process of reflection, McKinsey provides lots of opportunities to help me grow.

Interviewer: What engagement did you work on this summer?

Krishnan: I helped a team of clinicians form recommendations for improving their entire healthcare organization and explored the organizational structures necessary to effectively implement those changes.